Ron Paul 2012

A year or so ago, I decided that I wanted to begin educating myself about government and politics so that I could form a personal opinion on these matters. I've noticed my health and food choice freedoms being eroded, and as a fervent "real foods" and natural healthcare supporter, I began to wonder why this was happening and what could be done about it. The first thing I did was ask the smartest hardcore Democrats and Republicans that I know, why they support what they do and why I should too. Then I read Texas Congressman Dr. Ron Paul's book, The Revolution: A Manifesto. As a Constitutional Conservative, he is a proponent of limited government. And over the last several months, the old, established message of freedom that he champions has really begun to resonate in my mind and heart. I've started reading articles from different viewpoints and asking lots of questions. As a homeschooling mom, history has also come alive to me for the first time as I learn along with my children. We've been studying Roman, British, and a little American history. I am so far from knowing a lot, and I have no doubt that I will have to be flexible with my thoughts; but I feel like I have learned enough now, to be able to develop a few legitimate opinions. These are a just a few, random thoughts about foreign aid and social policy, the types of issues that are of concern to many Christian voters. These views are in line with those of Ron Paul, and are some of the reasons why I plan to vote for him in the upcoming Republican Primary; and why, should he not get the official nomination, I will write in his name for president.

Practically the entire history of human civilization, including the modern day United States of America, has begun to look to me like the board game, RISK. This is a game where each "nation" basically tries to take over the world. The balance is in violently taking over as much as possible of the human race, while making alliances for self-serving purposes and not spreading the resources of one's own nation too thinly to defend itself against the conquest of other countries. It seems to me that a timeless, basic, human flaw is the insatiable drive for the money and power gained through such endeavors. In a modern society, we just find different reasons to justify it. Now I'm not talking about defending ones own and then moving on. I'm talking about the endless, simultaneous conflicts that riddle human history and that are going on right now as the US alone has 900 military bases in 130 countries. Can this possibly, really be necessary for our defense? I have begun to think not. And I am learning that our Founding Fathers didn't hold the foreign policy views of mainstream Democrats OR Republicans. My only guess is that we accept the current ideologies as normal and acceptable because it's all most of us have known in our lifetimes, and because a kid like me can graduate at the top of her high school class without a real knowledge or sense of World or American history. I reason that future generations will regard us as having been as brutal and bloodthirsty as we rightly recognize Rome or the Vikings were-when we critically consider their histories without simply regurgitating colorless facts for a standardized test in school.

And in mankind's thirst for control, I perceive that it is also the norm and not the exception, for the humans who comprise the governing bodies to tend to look after the best interests of themselves before those of the people being governed-to falter toward corruption when not adequately restrained. The people that make up governments are made of the same frail skin as the rest of us; and we all struggle with our own selfishness and shortsightedness. That is the precise reason why our Founding Fathers wrote the US Constitution in such a way that government would be constrained by the principles within it. That is the reason that, though the people are granted individual freedoms, even they are restrained from developing a wayward majority that would demand something not allowed by the Constitution. We too, are bound by it's principles-and these are Judeo-Christian principles. They are not survival-of-the-fittest Darwinian principles or Hindu or Atheist or Agnostic principles. They are rights and values straight from the Bible and the core of these values cannot be separated from the framework of our nation. However, we must not make the mistake of assuming that the Founding Fathers intended to force Christianity or even personal Christian lifestyle choices on individual citizens. Indeed it is not possible to coerce faith or truly righteous behavior on another; God looks at the heart, and there isn't a law in the world that will cause a darkened heart to be made new or that can render one's good works anything more than "filthy rags". The pilgrims were fleeing mandates to ignore their own personal convictions in favor of those of England; and it is a society of LIBERTY that the Revolutionaries sought to instill in American culture-freedom to worship and pursue life and happiness without the interference of any government. The purpose of government, in this case, is to protect that liberty. It is to protect us from having our freedoms and rights snatched or slowly disintegrated by another, whether foreign or domestic. That includes things like violence against another person, theft and the like-not whether or not an individual decides to drink raw milk, wear a seatbelt, use contraception or home school his/her children. The purpose of government is not to make personal decisions for us or to protect us from ourselves.

When a government (composed, again, of flawed people) has the power to intervene in personal affairs that do not directly affect the life and liberty of others, all liberties are endangered. Certainly some were pleased to see a law passed prohibiting marijuana possession. They may be less appreciative of legislation forcing parents to submit their children to risky medical interventions or restricting the use of vitamin supplements that have been instrumental in healing what would otherwise be incurable health conditions-and this is actually happening right now. An Evangelical Christian may support the right of the Federal Government to make the adult consumption of adult pornography illegal. What happens when a few administrations down the road, the Bible is considered dangerous and divisive? It is not a matter of whether or not smoking weed or looking at porn is a good idea, but rather it is an argument of whether or not the Federal Government has the right and can be consistently trusted to intervene in the personal affairs of citizens. I submit to you the idea that God and families under his guidance do a much better job at this than detached politicians, who are frequently influenced by a number of conflicting interests.

It is also not a matter, when considering public welfare, of whether or not the legitimate poor need help. It is actually an issue of who's job it is to provide that assistance, and who would do it best. Remember, the government doesn't actually have money of it's own. It only has the money that it is given by or takes from it's people. It's more than an argument of whether or not the needy will be helped. It's a core issue of freedom, and a truly free nation cannot forcefully take money from one of it's citizens in order to meet the needs, however desperate, of another. You simply cannot use emotional, anecdotal arguments in violation of established, foundational principles in order to create policies-if you expect things to go well in the long term.

If God is the one who changes hearts and gives us the responsibility and right as individuals/families to steward our lives well and to care for the poor, if it is before Him that we will stand and give an account when our days on earth have come to completion, then it is not consistent with the Constitution or Christian values to just hand the government the general power and responsibility to manage these matters-even if we do agree with a point or two like that pornography feeds lust or that weed makes you lazy and paranoid. We are so blessed to be braced by a constitution that declares our God-given freedom to manage our own lives, our families and our communities in the ways that God shows and empowers us. There are answers to the "what ifs" and legitimate practical concerns, as well as plans to ease transitions in policy. Let's not be tempted to threaten our future freedoms (including the freedom to worship God and spread the Gospel openly) by giving elected leaders, even the occasional principaled and honest ones, room to encroach on our liberty in their innate human frailty. As you prepare to vote for our next president, please consider not only the candidates who would vainly attempt to have virtue legislated, but also the only man in the running who has a long and consistent record of honoring the God-inspired constitution on which our great nation was founded.

Ron Paul 2012.




More info:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EMBffxDYXE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BFLRssmEZ8&sns=fb

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Rv0Z5SNrF4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fOUb9YZYUM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-E9lRK_310&feature=autoplay&list=PL8C7C1AD3431BA379&lf=results_video&playnext=2

http://wi.rlc.org/2011/12/ron-paul-or-bust-an-ultimatum-to-all-republicans/

http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/1341058115001/

http://www.fox19.com/story/16327085/reality-check-are-ron-pauls-views-on-israel-misguided-and-extreme

http://www.amazon.com/Revolution-Manifesto-Ron-Paul/dp/0446537519

http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/01/06/3641207/evangelicals-turning-from-perry.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D76lQG2Ips&feature=share

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCNWGG0xoEQ&feature=youtu.be

The Bible

Intense

I have been described as intense.

And I really can be exhausting.

Even to me.

But this is the thing:

There is so much happening in the world. So much suffering and deceit and INJUSTICE.

AND I CAN'T NOT CARE!!!

I have my moments of levity, to be sure. My kids are hilarious and life is BEAUTIFUL.

I occasionally (I'm ashamed to admit) even get distracted by celebrity nonsense.

But for the most part, I just can't seem to stop thinking and questioning and learning, which frequently leads to passionate activism in soooo many things, frequently the kinds of things that the average person doesn't acknowledge the significance of.

Lately I've been particularly concerned about the following things: sex trafficking, drug industry corruption, government corruption and control, hyperinflation, threats to informed health consent, free access to the unadulterated foods of one's choice, the glamorization of teen pregnancy and FDA seizures of BIRTH TUBS, for the love!!!

I realize that I am called to trust in the Lord and not be anxious...and I'm working on that.

I know that I'm not in control and that I can't save the world.

I know that it's not bad to care and that passion is a gift.

But it must be tempered by faith and the humility which recognizes God's sovereignty and my extreme limitations.

And I'm struggling there.

To trust God and not to be afraid.

To remember that life is hard. It always has been and always will be in this life-from one generation to the next, even if injustice surfaces in slightly different ways throughout the years.

To care, and to do what I feel called to and yet to REST in God's love and will-even if that means something that I don't want it to.

But sometimes I just feel like a rampaging elephant in need of a subgluteal tranquilizer.

And that's where I am tonight.

Eavesdropping

Jocelynn: "I'm going to live with Mommy forever!"

Cole: "You can't. But I'm not going to get married because I want to have alone time. And drink Coke."

Jocelyn: "Cole, do you know how much sugar is in Coke?!"

Cole: "Who cares. Your name is Butt."

Oh yeah, this is why...

We've FINALLY gotten into the swing of the Charlotte Mason method of home education.

It takes 1.5-2 hours to finish all our work and move on to chores, outings, play dates and other activities.

Except today.

It's been 5.5 hours since we began schooling on and off and we're still not done.

But the persistant whining out of my daughter and the impatience and unloving attitude from me in response-the causes of our tardiness in completing the days lessons, have provided an invaluable and sobering opportunity for my daughter and I to really face our humanity.

Our weaknesses.

And to learn from them.

To grow closer to God.

And to each other.

And I was provided an opportunity that would not be so readily available to me were my daughter not with me for the majority of her day...

The chance to recognize her folly right away.

To stop what we were doing.

Right then.

Even though it was inconvenient.

And to work through the issues of our hearts that were the source of our lack of grace and love toward eachother.

Jocelynn's prideful lack of obedience and rebellious and ungateful heart.

And my equally prideful disregard for her feelings, my impatience, and lack of grace.

So we stopped what we were doing and I reminded her that she was not only disobeying me by refusing to do her work with a cheerful heart or at all, but that she was disobeying God in doing so. Because God put me in charge of her.

AND

I declared that I had sinned against her and God as well, my disgusted attitude and tone an obvious expression of my lack of humility about my own sinfulness, which catalyzed my completely ungracious reaction to hers.

And then I asked her to forgive me.

We held eachother and we prayed, confessing our shortcomings to eachother and to God, asking for the strength to act righteously and treat eachother with respect and love.

We discussed how we all struggle to do what is right.

And how not one of us is good enough to earn our own salvation or even to maintain it.

We all need God.

Strong willed little girls.

Know-it-all mammas.

And everyone in beween.

I am reminded of why we do things that way that we do.

And I am grateful that I am with my children more than I am without them.

That I get to train them continuously at this tender and fleeting point in their lives.

That though I struggle to be as consistent with discipline as I ought to, being with my kids so much affords me the opportunity to constantly point them in the right direction, quickly correcting their errors in judgement and rejoicing when they make wise choices.

Screwing up, repenting and experiencing the miracle of forgiveness right along with them.

So more than all of the academic and social considerations that have influenced our educational lifestyle.

I realize once again that THIS is why I homeschool.

Tired

I'm tired.

My brain is fried.

And my heart is sad.

I am so sick of defending myself as a sane, intelligent, and sincere person despite some of the "ignorant and selfish" lifestyle choices I make-much less of fighting for the right to make those decisions in the first place.

Do these people have any idea how HARD it is to constantly swim against the current?

How grave and sobering it is to research and analyze and pray and weep for months over something like whether or not to vaccinate your kids-and then find yourself quite alone in the place your logic and prayer takes you?

And to then be accused of being negligent or "anti-science" by those who do not know you or have an accurate understanding of your point of view?

It sucks.

And it hurts.

And it seems as though it's getting to the point now that it's not enough just to ridicule opinions or lifestyle decisions that differ from those of the mainstream.

There is a frantic, mob-like attitude brewing amongst those who've learned just enough to become presumptuous and hostile.

And they are perceiving those who oppose genetic engineering, who challenge mandatory vaccination, or who advocate the integration of alternative medicine as a threat to "progress"-as if nature is so inherently foolish that there couldn't possibly such a thing as taking technology too far.

They have begun to suggest that people like me should be "stopped".

And in spite of all my self absorbed insecurities and introspective woes, for all our sakes, this is what concerns me the most.

A Letter to My Midwife

I always knew that my midwife was an adept and kind caregiver.

However, recently I have begun to realize just how great a treasure you are to me-to a world where compassion for birthing mothers can easily be lost in the tangled cords of automated fetal heart monitors and IV lines.

You spent a great deal of time with me, as much as I needed.

You listened to me.

You offered your capable hands and empathetic heart to a weak and vulnerable young woman.

You respected me.

And taught me to stand.

To think.

To trust.

Your wisdom guarded me through valid concerns.

And your patience lovingly endured my irrational fears.

You had as much gentleness and humility when you helped me wash my hair after the birth of my daughter as you had mastery of clinical skill when you palpated her position in utero.

You didn't just help me give birth.

You helped to make me a competent and kindhearted adult.

A woman.

A mother.



Thank You.

My Nemesis

I write this evening victoriously,

With bloated ego and triumphant scorn,

Lacking in both humility and prudent restraint.

For I have vanquished my enemy

Without the hindrance of maternal council

Or "reliable" recipe.

With my God given intellect and superior skill,

I have overcome my foe in a 9 inch pan of stainless steel glory.

Finally.

Gooey and balanced,

Spicy and warm,

I have won.

Up yours apple pie.